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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · wind · cabinet · vault · lean · band · snap · bank

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. band — a ring
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a music group
  14. snap — to click
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — letters
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bank — of a river
  22. vault — a safe
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com